Wonkette

* Congressional Republicans push through change to health insurance rules at the buzzer. [WP]
* Meanwhile, Democrats fail to extort concessions from oil and gas companies. “Wait ’til next year,” they say. [WSJ]
* That’s when they’ll be relying on younger members’ “energy” and “intensity” to get everything they want from the 110th Congress. [WP]
* State department intelligence on Iranian nuclear terrorists powered by Google. [WP]
* William Jefferson wins reelection, reaffirms superiority of the American political system. [WP, NYT]
* Iraq Study Group’s report exposes rift among Republicans. James Baker and Lee Hamilton claim they got no beef with President Bush, and want to know who you callin’ “surrender monkey?” [WP, NYT]
* Barack Obama goes to New Hampshire, tells giant crowd that he doesn’t trust his own hype. [WP, NYT]
* In his farewell speech today, Kofi Annan will rip White House policies in the only dapper, civilized, and slightly accented way he knows. [USAT]
* Havana-born Republican congresswoman calls for the assignation of Fidel Castro, dog bites man. [NYT]
* Republican Presidential hopefuls kiss Bush family ass, dog bites man. [LAT]

* Condoleezza Rice “counselor” Philip Zelikow resigns, claims loyalty will keep him from writing a tell-all. [WP, NYT]
* Government contracts to receive closer scrutiny by Democratic congress — “tranny hookers” still allowable, as long as their fees are added to the catering line on expense reports. [WP]
* They’re still counting votes in Ohio’s 15th District. [AP, NYT]
* Kofi Annan says of civil war in Iraq, “We are almost there.” An Iraqi leader says, “It’s worse than a civil war.” The Saudi royal family says, “Jump.” Dick Cheney says, “How high?” [WP]
* The Los Angeles Times has been saying it was a civil war since October. [LAT]
* A “senior intelligence official” says al-Sadr’s Iraqi Shiite Militia receives training from Hezbollah. [NYT]
* Justice Department opens “a full review” of Bush’s warrantless wiretapping program. [NYT]
* New House Democrat Chris Carney knows something about Iraq, nothing about choking mistresses. [NYT]
* Christian Coalition parts ways with pastor who wants to help poor, save planet. [NYT]

• “Rolling Hurricane Revue” tour heads to Mississippi and Louisiana to mark today’s one year anniversary of Katrina. Blame game still on, reconstruction in MS faring better than LA. [WP, NYT]

• Tropical Storm Ernesto is weak, but FEMA Director David Paulison’s “No More Fuckups” doctrine has an army of personnel in Florida. [CNN]
• Kofi Annan wants in on the cool kids “disaster touring club,” heads to southern Lebanon. [BBC, NYT]
• Bill Clinton in Africa visiting AIDS patients, finds warm reception: “George Bush has actually delivered more resources, but Clinton is ten times more popular in Africa.” [NYT]
• President Nursultan “The Friendly Kleptocrat” Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan to visit White House in September. [WP]
• Indiana Republican congressman Mike Pence no longer the “perfect conservative” as he tries for compromise on immigration issue. [NYT]
• Fenty vs. Cropp televised debate yesterday — no steel cage, just a really small table. [WP]

* Pretty soon the 4am “make millions in your spare time” infomercials will feature Drudge. [Logged Hours] MORE »

In the words of our tipster: “This is the look that comes over your face when you’re staring at the two people you hate most.” MORE »

* White House waited over 14 hours before disclosing Cheney’s hunting accident; it’s “highly unusual, if not unprecedented, for the White House to allow a private citizen serve as its de facto spokesman.” [WP, NYT, USAT]
* Scott McClellan faced “the media equivalent of birdshot.” NBC’s David Gregory during the gaggle: “Don’t accuse me of trying to pose to the cameras. Don’t be a jerk to me personally when I’m asking you a serious question.” [WP, NYT]
* Administration vows to reform FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security to prevent future failures. Michael Chertoff: “I am accountable and accept responsibility for the performance of the entire department, good and bad.” [WP, W$J]
* Draft United Nations report sharply criticizes treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba: “The U.S. government should either expeditiously bring all Guantanamo Bay detainees to trial. . . or release them without further delay.” [WP]
* Administration spent $1.6b on public relations contracts from 2003 to mid-2005. [WP]

MORE »

• Names & Faces: Kofi Annan names Yo-Yo Ma as a United Nations peace envoy. [WP]
• Inside the Beltway: Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) maintains her lead in early ‘08 Power Rankings; Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) jumps to first place from third. [WT]
• Inside Politics: Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) will announce tomorrow whether he will run for re-election. [WT] MORE »